The Project Management Academy was organized in the context of the project “Building CSO Capacity for Regional Cooperation within the Black Sea Region”, implemented by the Romanian NGDO Platform – FOND, with the financial support of the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST), a project of the German Marshall Fund.
The Program was addressed to CSO professionals in charge with the implementation of project activities (Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Project Officers, Program Directors etc.) who are seeking to increase the sustainability and organizational resilience of their organizations in difficult times.
The program embedded several types of learning activities:
- Social learning group (based on a Facebook group enhanced with the Learning Units facility) serving as the main gathering point and place to structure the 8 learning modules;
- Online platform was available at https://pma.geyc.ro serving as an external reference about the program, structuring the theoretical briefings and presenting the participating organizations;
- M1-M8: 8 learning modules including theoretical briefings, practical activities (to which trainers and peer-to-peer feedback was provided), videoconferences (recording made available after each meeting) and resources;
- Optional coaching sessions with one of the trainers that were scheduled during an 8 weeks period (December 2020 - January 2021).
The program was facilitated by GEYC - Group of the European Youth for Change, represented by Gabriel BREZOIU (Trainer), Diana IONIȚĂ (Trainer) and Alexandra PECA (Digital Engagement Specialist).
During the Project Management Academy program we had a lot of learning opportunities and at the same time we noticed that even though the CSOs represented in the program were established in different countries in the region, they faced similar challenges and difficulties and they felt the need to improve their project management skills as a way to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
As a result of the Project Management Academy Training Program, the participants have a more structured understanding of PM, awareness of the importance of project planning and management, as well as the importance of the project's impact upon the targeted beneficiary group, a more clear understanding on why the follow-up phase is important in analyzing the project's impact, result and efficiency.